San Francisco Giants: 5 Last-Minute Moves They Should Consider
The bullpen dropped the ball for the San Francisco Giants late last season, so it's no surprise that shoring up the relief core was the main focus of the team's early offseason dealings.
Landing a top-tier closer was the No. 1 priority, and they did just that when Mark Melancon was brought aboard on a four-year, $62 million deal.
With a projected payroll of $186 million for the upcoming season following that signing and the addition of catcher Nick Hundley on a one-year, $2 million deal, per Roster Resource, it sounds like the Giants are tapped out financially.
"Over the winter, the Giants will be open-minded to adding an outfielder and relief depth—but only on the cheap, apparently," wrote John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle.
Added general manager Bobby Evans: "I don’t think there’s anything more to ask of ownership. It’s more what I can do with what we have."
So what remaining moves might we see out of the Giants before the offseason is over?
For those hoping to see trade proposals for J.D. Martinez or Todd Frazier or even suggested free-agent signings like Jerry Blevins or Boone Logan—apologies for the bubble bursting.
Instead, the focus here will be on veteran free agents who might be willing to agree to minor league deals.
The Giants have already inked an intriguing crop of non-roster invitees, but here are five more additions they should consider.
Non-Roster Bench Option: IF Gordon Beckham
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2016 Stats (ATL/SF)
88 G, 279 PA, .212/.294/.347, 52 H, 22 XBH (5 HR), 31 RBI, 25 R, -1.2 WAR
Outlook
It's not often you see an MLB team make a trade on Sept. 27.
However, with Eduardo Nunez battling a hamstring injury and Conor Gillaspie a non-factor against left-handed pitching, the Giants did just that when they swung a deal to acquire Gordon Beckham.
Beckham wound up starting the final two games of the season with Rich Hill and Clayton Kershaw on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 0-for-5 with one RBI.
That's not much of an on-field impact, and his late acquisition meant he was ineligible for the postseason, but that didn't stop Beckham from making an impact in the clubhouse.
"Gordon Beckham spent just a week with the Giants, heading home after Game 162, but he was such an energetic and funny breath of fresh air that one key member of the clubhouse said he would personally approach (GM Bobby) Evans to suggest a reunion," wrote Alex Pavlovic of CSN Bay Area.
The 30-year-old Beckham is still searching for a new home as we begin February, so a reunion could conceivably still be on the table, especially after the Giants waived utility infielder Ehire Adrianza.
KBO standout Jae-gyun Hwang—who signed a minor league deal—is the favorite to win that spot, with Jimmy Rollins also in camp as a non-roster invitee.
Adding Beckham to that mix couldn't hurt.
Non-Roster Bench Option: Jeff Francoeur
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2016 Stats (ATL/MIA)
125 G, 331 PA, .254/.297/.378, 78 H, 23 XBH (7 HR), 34 RBI, 33 R, -0.5 WAR
Outlook
The Giants will enter camp with the starting left field job up for grabs.
Jarrett Parker and Mac Williamson are the leading candidates to win the job, though a platoon of the two is also a possibility if neither separates himself from the other this spring.
"In a perfect world, one guy would win the job," GM Bobby Evans told Andrew Baggarly of the Mercury News. "You’re not necessarily looking for a platoon. Then out of our non-roster invitees, someone would emerge as a fifth outfielder who could be a bat off the bench."
Those non-roster invitees are currently headlined by Michael Morse and Justin Ruggiano, while 40-man roster players Gorkys Hernandez and Orlando Calixte will also be in the running for the fifth outfielder spot.
With the focus seemingly on finding a right-handed bat with some pop given the team's somewhat lefty heavy profile, another potential fit could be Jeff Francoeur.
The 33-year-old has delivered some nice power numbers in a bench role the past two seasons, tallying 31 doubles, 20 home runs and 79 RBI in 674 total plate appearances.
The Atlanta Braves and Miami Marlins—the two teams Francoeur played for last season—have both shown interest in a potential reunion, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.
The Giants might be well-served testing the waters as well.
Non-Roster Bullpen Option: Tom Wilhelmsen
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2016 Stats (TEX/SEA)
50 G, 2-4, 12 HLD, 6.80 ERA, 1.71 WHIP, 19 BB, 28 K, 46.1 IP, -0.8 WAR
Outlook
Aside from a rough three-month stretch with the Texas Rangers at the start of last season, Tom Wilhelmsen has been a rock solid late-inning option for the better part of his six MLB seasons.
The 33-year-old ran up a 10.55 ERA over 21 appearances in Texas, with the final straw coming on June 13 when he allowed nine hits and six earned runs in one inning of work.
He was outrighted off the 40-man roster after that outing and elected free agency, with the Seattle Mariners scooping him up a few days later.
The return to Seattle—where he spent the first five seasons of his career—agreed with him, as he pitched to a 3.60 ERA and 1.28 WHIP with nine holds in 29 appearances the rest of the way.
Prior to last season, Wilhelmsen had a 2.97 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 67 saves in 267 career appearances.
There was no real downturn in his stuff last year, at least from a velocity standpoint. The right-hander averaged 94.8 mph with his fastball, right in line with his 95.0 mph average from the previous season, so that's not a concern.
Another reunion with the Mariners may be the most likely conclusion for Wilhelmsen.
"There was no doubt I was a little heartbroken when I got sent away, but that’s the nature of the game. You move on from that. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out for me. Ultimately, I want to be happy. I was mighty happy in Seattle. So I’m even happier to be back," Wilhelmsen told Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times upon returning to Seattle last season.
If that isn't in the cards, though, he'd be well worth an invite to spring training and a couple million base salary if he earns a roster spot.
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Non-Roster Bullpen Option: Luke Hochevar
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2016 Stats (KC)
40 G, 2-3, 14 HLD, 3.86 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 9 BB, 40 K, 37.1 IP, 0.3 WAR
Outlook
A transition to the bullpen in 2013 proved to be a career-changing move for Luke Hochevar.
The Kansas City Royals gave the former No. 1 overall pick every chance to make it as a starter, but he was just 38-59 with a 5.39 ERA and 1.40 WHIP in 128 starts over his first six seasons in the league.
His first season as a reliever was a complete 180.
He posted a 1.92 ERA, 0.83 WHIP and 10.5 K/9 with nine holds and two saves in 58 appearances and appeared ready to emerge as the most recent start-turned-reliever success story.
The injury bug had other ideas, though.
Hochevar wound up missing the entire 2014 season after a spring arm injury required Tommy John surgery, and he hit the disabled list once again last August when he underwent thoracic outlet surgery.
In between, he returned to being a solid option out of the pen with a 3.78 ERA, 1.19 WHIP and 9.1 K/9 in 89 appearances while tallying 20 holds.
Chances are he won't be ready for the start of the season, and as a result, he'll almost certainly be forced to settle for a minor league deal with some health incentives.
However, patience could pay off in a big way if he can return to 100 percent by midseason and emerge as a useful bullpen arm once again.
Non-Roster Bullpen Option: Yusmeiro Petit
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2016 Stats (WAS)
36 G, 1 GS, 3-5, 4.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, 15 BB, 49 K, 62.0 IP, 0.1 WAR
Outlook
The San Francisco Giants are plenty familiar with Yusmeiro Petit after he played a key role in the team's 2014 World Series win.
Serving in a swingman role, Petit made 12 starts and 27 relief appearances, finishing the regular season at 5-5 with a 3.69 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 117 innings.
However, it was the postseason when he really carved out his place in Giants' lore as he won three games and saved the bullpen with his ability to work multiple innings:
- NLDS G2: W, 6.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K
- NLCS G4: W, 3.0 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
- WS G4: W, 3.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
He was a vital piece of the relief corps once again the following season, before joining the Washington Nationals on a one-year, $2.5 million deal last winter that included a club option for 2017 valued at $3 million with a $500,000 buyout.
The Nationals opted for the buyout after Petit posted fairly mediocre numbers across the board, and at this point, he has yet to find a new home.
A rough finish to the 2016 season wound up inflating his overall numbers.
The 32-year-old had a 2.72 ERA over 26 appearances on Aug. 1, but he allowed at least one run in seven of his final 10 appearances and pitched to a brutal 11.68 ERA during that span.
That late swoon likely means he'll be forced to settle for a minor league deal, but if he comes out strong this spring, he could prove to be one of the better bargains of the winter.
All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs, unless otherwise noted. Contract information via Spotrac.
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